Water cooled engine cooling system sand trap

ABSTRACT

A protection system for the seal in a water pump for an engine coolant system including a radiator inlet hose connected to a tubular sand trap having ends clamped on the inlet hose and the radiator inlet fitting of the engine coolant system to provide positive retention of the trap. The trap includes a first turn of approximately 90* between the inlet hose and the inlet fitting. A bent depending trap sump on the trap has an inlet aligned with the inlet to the 90* turn to separate and retain sand particles.

[ Nov. 20, 1973 165/119 Craig 165/119 1,950,254 3/1934 Lien..... 1,992,472 2/1935 WATER COOLED ENGDIE COOLING SYSTEM SAND TRAP [75] Inventor:

R.amBnn L ',M'h.

J es e ansmg 1c Primary ExaminerSam1h N. Zaharna Assistant Examiner-F. F. Calvetti AttorneySidney Carter et a1.

[73] Assignee: General Motors Corpration, Detroit,

Mich.

22 Filed: Sept. 18, 1972 21 App1.No.: 290,212

[57] ABSTRACT A protection system for the seal in a w ater pump for an engine coolant system including a radiator inlet hose connected to a tubular sand trap having ends clamped on the inlet hose and the radiator inlet fitting of the engine coolant system to provide positive reten- [51] Int.

[58] Field of {on f the U Th tra lud S a fi ttum f p 210 175, 181,532, 74; 123 41.01; 165 119 51 1 e c e 0 l l l proximately 90 between the inlet hose and the inlet fitting. A bent depending trap sump on the trap has an [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS inlet aligned with the inlet to the 90 turn to separate and retain sand particles.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 3,362,536 1/1968 Sellman 210/167 1,887,781 11/1932 Parr 123/4101 WATER COOLED ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM SAND TRAP This invention relates to engine coolant systems and more particularly to water-cooled engine cooling systems having sand traps therein.

Water-cooled engine components such as the block, head, intake manifold, water pump and water outlet are manufactured by sand cast processes that can retain residual core sand deposits on the component parts of an engine cooling system. The quantity of residual sand will depend upon the design of the parts, foundry techniques and processing, the type of core sand and binder used and the thoroughness of cleaning operations.

The water pump in such systems includes a rotary shaft seal having wear surfaces thereon.

In the operation of an engine cooling system, coolant is circulated therethrough. The excessive residual core sand will be entrained in the circulating coolant. The pump seal is exposed to the coolant and entrained sand. The abrasive nature of the residual core sand can cause excessive wear at the seal.

Accordingly, it is desirable to include means in the cooling system of an engine to remove core sand and other particles from the coolant during system operation. A number of filter units have been proposed for this use. One example of such a filter is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,647,635, issued Aug. 4, 1953 to L. H. Hove et a1. Such systems, while suitable for their intended purpose are relatively expensive and require that the filter be periodically cleaned.

Another method for separation of particles from the engine coolant systems of automotive vehicles is the inclusion of a gravity type sediment trap structure. These arrangements include a vertically upstanding well depending from an inclined tube adapted to be connected between the engine and the inlet fitting on a radiator. Coolant flowing through the inclined tube passes above the vertically depending well and particles of a predetermined size will separate by gravity from the coolant flow to be collected in the vertically aligned well. An example of such an arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,142,888, issued Jan. 3, 1939 to M. R. Donnallan. In some cases, this type of sediment trap structure is modified to include filters to further assure separation of sediment from circulating coolant. This type of an arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,034,242, issued Mar. 17, 1936 to W. Mautner.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved engine coolant system for a vehicle including a compactly arranged radiator, sand trap and return hose assembly that occupies a reduced amount of space between the vehicle radiator and the engine cooling fan.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved system for removing sand particles from the engine coolant system of an automotive vehicle by the provision therein of a tubular sand trap having means for changing the direction of coolant flow from the engine of the vehicle to the radiator inlet and further including means for intercepting sand particles as the coolant changes direction and to retain them within a trap sump removed from the coolant flow path in the system.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved coolant system in a vehicle having component parts arranged to be located in a closely spaced relationship with the inner surface of a radiator including an inlet hose having a segment thereon arranged in spaced parallelism to the radiator through an elongated extension and a tubular trap having an inlet extension aligned colinearly of the inlet hose extension to define an elongated straight line path for coolant flow from the engine and wherein an outlet extension on the trap is arranged through a turn with respect to the trap inlet extension and colinearly of the inlet fitting of the radiator to define a curvilinear path for coolant flow from the inlet hose to the inlet fitting; the trap further including a bent tubular portion with an inlet segment thereon located in line with the inlet extension of the trap and a lower sump; the bent tubular portion forming a curvilinear path between the inlet segment to the sump; the aligned inlet hose, trap inlet extension and inlet segment to the sump defining a straight path for directing separated particles from the coolant flow through the curvilinear path to the sump; the inlet segment to the sump being located at the sand trap turn to intercept inertially separated particles at the turn.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a vehicle engine cooling system including the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top elevation view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of a portion of the system in FIG. 1 showing an improved sand trap; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modified sump arrangement for use in the present invention.

In the drawing, FIG. 1 shows a cross-flow radiator 10 having an inlet tank or header 12 on one side thereof formed throughout the height of the radiator and an outlet tank 14 at the opposite side thereof also formed throughout the height thereof. The radiator further includes a core 16 made up of a plurality of horizontal flat tubes 18 each having opposite open ends thereon communicating the inlet tank 12 with the outlet tank 14. The core 16 in addition to the tubes 18 includes a plurality of heat transfer surfaces or air centers representatively shown as a plurality of thin sheet metal corrugated strips 20 located between each of the spaced horizontal tubes 18.

The radiator core 16 thus presents a front surface 22 through which air is drawn by a cooling fan 24 driven by the vehicle engine 26. The cooling fan 24 is located rearwardly of the rear surface 28 of the radiator core 16. The fan 24 is driven by a belt pulley system 29 which includes a belt segment passing over a pulley 30 to drive a water pump 32.

Vehicle engine coolant systems typically include a coolant jacket around the engine for removing heat therefrom. In the illustrated arrangement this jacket includes an inlet 34. The pump 32 draws fluid from the coolant jacket during the vehicle operation and discharges it through a pump outlet 36. The coolant from the jacket is directed through the core 16 of the radiator 10 to be cooled by air flow thereacross.

Many water cooled engine components such as the block, head, intake manifold, water pump and water outlet are cast metal. They may include residual core sand deposits on the parts. The quantity of residual sand will depend upon the design of the parts, foundry techniques and processing, type of core sand and binder used and thoroughness of cleaning operations.

As a result, some residual core sand may be present in the engine coolant system of most vehicles. The coolant pump 32 includes a rotary shaft seal which is exposed to the coolant flow through the pump. Any residual sand in the coolant flow may contact moving seal surfaces on the rotary seal. Since core sands are inherently abrasive, it is found that the moving seal surfaces on the seal may be worn by the particles. Accordingly, the present invention includes a sand trap assembly 38 interposed between the pump 32 and the radiator core 16 for separating sand particles during vehicle operation.

The sand trap assembly 38 is made up of a modified coolant inlet hose or conduit 40 which has an entrance end 42 thereon connected to the pump outlet 36 to re ceive heated coolant from the coolant jacket around the engine.

The coolant jacket inlet 34 is connected to the outlet end 44 of a suction conduit 46 to the engine coolant jacket. The suction conduit 46 has an entrance end 48 thereon connected by suitable clamp means 50 to an outlet fitting 52 which communicates with the bottom of the outlet tank 314 of the radiator 16.

The system is filled with coolant through a filler neck 54 having a radiator cap 56 thereon to pressurize the system for high temperature operation. The filler neck 54 is communicated with an overflow tube 58 held by a clamp 60 to locate a drain opening 62 at one end thereof so that overflow coolant from the system will discharge at a point below the radiator.

Additionally, the system radiator includes an inlet fitting 64 formed at the upper end of the inlet header E2 to receive coolant once it is passed through the sand trap 38.

The basis system operation includes drawing heated coolant from the jacket around the engine and discharging it through the pump outlet 36 for flow through the inlet conduit or hose dd thence through the sand trap assembly 38 into the radiator inlet fitting 64. Coolant thence flows through the plurality of horizontally disposed flat tubes 18 into the outlet tank. As the coolant flows through the radiator core 16 it is cooled by heat transfer from the air centers which are exposed to air flow generated from the front surface 22 to the rear surface 28 of the core by the cooling fan 2%.

One aspect of the present invention is that the sand trap 38 is arranged with respect to the rear surface 28 of the radiator to occupy a reduced amount of space therebetween. More particularly, the sand trap assembly 38 includes a first tubular leg or inlet extension 66 which is connected coaxially of an elongated straight tubular extension 68 of the inlet conduit 40. The elongated extension 68 has an end portion 70 thereon slidably fit over the inlet extension 66 where it is fixedly secured by means of a clamp 71, surrounding the end portion 76.

Both the straight extension 63 and the inlet extension 66 are arranged in close spaced parallelism with the rear surface 28 of the radiator core 16. Furthermore, the inlet extension es and straight extension 68 are located in a plane which intersects the upper part of the radiator 10. Preferably, the plane includes the radiator inlet fitting 64 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The inlet extension 66 forms one leg of a tubular tee 72 which also includes an outlet extension or leg 74 on the sand trap 38 which is located through approximately a 90 angle with respect to the inlet extension 66. The outlet extension or leg 74! is located coaxially of the radiator inlet fitting 64 and is secured thereto by means of a connector hose 76 and a pair of clamp assemblies 78, 80 for sealingly and fixedly connecting the connector hose 76 to the inlet radiator fitting M and the end of the outlet extension 74 respectively.

The inlet extension 66 and the outlet extension 74 on the tee 72 thus define a first curvilinear path 8k shown by the arrow which in the illustrated arrangement is through approximately a right angle turn.

The tee 72 further includes a trap inlet 82 located coaxially of the aligned straight tubular extension 68 and inlet extension 66. The trap inlet 82 constitutes the third leg of the tubular tee 72 being arranged perpendicularly with respect to the outlet extension 74 thereof. Additionally, it is formed through a bent tubular portion 34 which is closed at the lower end 86 thereof to form a trap sump 88 in which sand particles are collected. The bent tubular portion 84 defines a curvilinear path shown by the arrow 90 from the trap inlet 82 to the sump 88.

The coolant passing through the inlet conduit 90 from the pump outlet 36 will have a substantial velocity throughout the length of the straight tubular portion 68, the inlet extension 66 to the tubular tee '72. The tee 72 and the bent tubular portion 84 of the trap are filled with coolant. Accordingly, coolant passing through the inlet extension 66 will follow the curvilinear path 81 to be directed through the radiator inlet fitting 64 into the radiator. Any particles in the stream will pass through a substantial straight line defined by the straight tubular portion 68, the inlet extension and the trap inlet 82. Because of the entrance length and its straight line configuration, the sand particles will have an inertia which will prevent them from following the turn defined by the curvilinear path 8E. The particles will follow the curvilinear path fit) through the tubular bent portion to be projected into the sump $8 of the trap. The tee 72 is located in the same plane as the inlet fitting 64 on the radiator. The trap sump 88 is located at a point below this plane. Since the sump is dead ended, the sand remains in the trap out of the coolant flow path to no longer circulate and wear surfaces of a rotary shaft seal in the coolant pump of the system.

It is preferred that the size of the trap be sufficient to retain all the anticipated residual core sand that might be included in standard engine coolant system components without filling up to a point where the sand might back flow or overflow into the tee 72 so as to be carried back into the coolant flow path.

in one working embodiment the trap is made from 0.031 inch wail steel tubing with zinc or cadmium plating for corrosion protection. it is inserted in place of a cut out in the inlet hose of a conventional engine coolant system. its diameter is that which fits a standard inlet hose of a radiator approximately 1.5 inches OD. The trap can be periodically removed from the coolant system at a recommended service interval by disconnecting the clamps 72, 80 to remove the sand from the sump 88 through the other legs of the tee 72..

In an alternative embodiment as shown in FIG. d, the trap can have a sump 92 corresponding to the sump 88 in the first embodiment. in this arrangement, a threaded cap 94 is threadably received on the end of the tubular leg 96 to form the dead end in the sump. The sand trap in this arrangement can be cleaned merely by removing the cap 90 to allow the collected sand particles to fall by gravity from leg 96.

While the embodiments of the present invention, as herein disclosed, constitute a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. An automobile radiator and sand trap assembly comprising: a radiator having a front surface and a rear surface, said radiator having a top inlet fitting and a bottom outlet fitting, a first hose for connecting the bottom outlet fitting to the inlet of an engine cooling system, a second hose for connecting the outlet of an engine cooling system to receive return coolant therefrom, said second hose including a bent end portion thereon and an elongated extension located in spaced parallelism with said rear radiator surface, a sand trap member having offset ends thereon connected to said elongated extension and to said radiator inlet, said ends of said sand trap located angularly with respect to one another to produce a change in direction of coolant passing from said second hose to said radiator inlet fitting, said offset ends, said radiator inlet and said elongated extension of said second hose being located in a common plane adjacent the top of said radiator, said sand trap having a bent tubular portion thereon with an inlet extension in communication with the point of intersection of said offset ends of said sand trap, said bent tubular portion having a closed end located below the plane including said offset ends and said elongated extension of said return hose, said bent tubular portion forming a curvilinear path from said plane to a sand trap sump located adjacent the closed end of said tubular extension, said elongated extension of said return hose, one of said offset ends and said inlet extension of said tubular portion defining a colinear path in said plane having a length to cause first sized particles in coolant returning through said return hose to build up an inertia to cause them to continue along the straight line defined by the colinear path to be intercepted by the bent tubular portion of said sand trap member and be directed into said trap sump, coolant flowing through said return hose extension being directed by said trap through a curvilinear path between said offset ends to said radiator inlet fitting.

2. An engine coolant system trap for removing particles from the coolant flow comprising: an inlet hose having one end thereon for connecting a water-cooled engine jacket outlet to said inlet hose, said inlet hose having an elongated extension thereon, a sand trap having an inlet extension thereon, an outlet extension thereon located generally perpendicularly to the axis of said inlet extension, a radiator having an inlet fitting thereon, means for connecting the outlet extension of said sand trap member to said radiator inlet fitting, said inlet and outlet extensions being joined together to define a first curvilinear path for flow of coolant from the elongated extension of said inlet hose to said radiator inlet fitting, said first curvilinear path being located in a plane common to said elongated extension of said inlet hose, said inlet extension and said outlet extension, said sand trap member including a tubular extension with an inlet in fluid communication with said inlet extension and said outlet extension and being located in the common plane of said inlet and outlet extension, said tubular extension being bent to define a second curvilinear path from said common plane to a point located below said common plane including, said tubular extension having a closed end defining a trap space for particles passing through said second curvilinear path, said elongated extension of said inlet hose, said inlet extension and said tubular extension inlet being colinear to define an extended straight path for particles in the flow through said inlet hose to cause the first particles to have an inertia to prevent them from passing through said first curvilinear path and to be directed through said second curvilinear path and to be collected in said trap space for separating particles from coolant from said inlet hose to said radiator inlet fitting.

3. A sand trap device for connection between the inlet hose of an engine coolant system and an inlet fitting on a radiator comprising: a first tubular leg for connecting the sand trap colinearly with an outlet segment of the inlet hose, 2. second tubular leg arranged perpendicularly with respect to the first leg through approximately a turn for defining a first curvilinear path between the first leg and the second leg for passing coolant from the inlet hose to the radiator inlet fitting, said second leg and said first leg being located in a common plane with the inlet hose outlet and the radiator inlet fitting, a third tubular leg on said sand trap being located colinearly with the first leg and defining a straight path for coolant flow from the first leg and at approximately right angles to the axis of said second leg, a bent tubular extension in communication with said third leg having a closed end defining a sump space located below the plane of said first and second legs of said sand trap, said bent tubular extension defining a second curvilinear path in communication with the straight path for separating suspended high inertia particles in the coolant to prevent the particles from following the fiist curvilinear path of coolant from the inlet hose to the inlet fitting of said radiator, said bent extension causing the separated particles to follow a curvilinear path and to be trapped within said sump space at the closed end thereof. 

1. An automobile radiator and sand trap assembly comprising: a radiator having a front surface and a rear surface, said radiator having a top inlet fitting and a bottom outlet fitting, a first hose for connecting the bottom outlet fitting to the inlet of an engine cooling system, a second hose for connecting the outlet of an engine cooling system to receive return coolant therefrom, said second hose including a bent end portion thereon and an elongated extension located in spaced parallelism with said rear radiator surface, a sand trap member having offset ends thereon connected to said elongated extension and To said radiator inlet, said ends of said sand trap located angularly with respect to one another to produce a change in direction of coolant passing from said second hose to said radiator inlet fitting, said offset ends, said radiator inlet and said elongated extension of said second hose being located in a common plane adjacent the top of said radiator, said sand trap having a bent tubular portion thereon with an inlet extension in communication with the point of intersection of said offset ends of said sand trap, said bent tubular portion having a closed end located below the plane including said offset ends and said elongated extension of said return hose, said bent tubular portion forming a curvilinear path from said plane to a sand trap sump located adjacent the closed end of said tubular extension, said elongated extension of said return hose, one of said offset ends and said inlet extension of said tubular portion defining a colinear path in said plane having a length to cause first sized particles in coolant returning through said return hose to build up an inertia to cause them to continue along the straight line defined by the colinear path to be intercepted by the bent tubular portion of said sand trap member and be directed into said trap sump, coolant flowing through said return hose extension being directed by said trap through a curvilinear path between said offset ends to said radiator inlet fitting.
 2. An engine coolant system trap for removing particles from the coolant flow comprising: an inlet hose having one end thereon for connecting a water-cooled engine jacket outlet to said inlet hose, said inlet hose having an elongated extension thereon, a sand trap having an inlet extension thereon, an outlet extension thereon located generally perpendicularly to the axis of said inlet extension, a radiator having an inlet fitting thereon, means for connecting the outlet extension of said sand trap member to said radiator inlet fitting, said inlet and outlet extensions being joined together to define a first curvilinear path for flow of coolant from the elongated extension of said inlet hose to said radiator inlet fitting, said first curvilinear path being located in a plane common to said elongated extension of said inlet hose, said inlet extension and said outlet extension, said sand trap member including a tubular extension with an inlet in fluid communication with said inlet extension and said outlet extension and being located in the common plane of said inlet and outlet extension, said tubular extension being bent to define a second curvilinear path from said common plane to a point located below said common plane including, said tubular extension having a closed end defining a trap space for particles passing through said second curvilinear path, said elongated extension of said inlet hose, said inlet extension and said tubular extension inlet being colinear to define an extended straight path for particles in the flow through said inlet hose to cause the first particles to have an inertia to prevent them from passing through said first curvilinear path and to be directed through said second curvilinear path and to be collected in said trap space for separating particles from coolant from said inlet hose to said radiator inlet fitting.
 3. A sand trap device for connection between the inlet hose of an engine coolant system and an inlet fitting on a radiator comprising: a first tubular leg for connecting the sand trap colinearly with an outlet segment of the inlet hose, a second tubular leg arranged perpendicularly with respect to the first leg through approximately a 90* turn for defining a first curvilinear path between the first leg and the second leg for passing coolant from the inlet hose to the radiator inlet fitting, said second leg and said first leg being located in a common plane with the inlet hose outlet and the radiator inlet fitting, a third tubular leg on said sand trap being located colinearly with the first leg and defining a straiGht path for coolant flow from the first leg and at approximately right angles to the axis of said second leg, a bent tubular extension in communication with said third leg having a closed end defining a sump space located below the plane of said first and second legs of said sand trap, said bent tubular extension defining a second curvilinear path in communication with the straight path for separating suspended high inertia particles in the coolant to prevent the particles from following the first curvilinear path of coolant from the inlet hose to the inlet fitting of said radiator, said bent extension causing the separated particles to follow a curvilinear path and to be trapped within said sump space at the closed end thereof. 